Consumers are acquiring, managing and using digital media on multiple consumer electronic devices. Network media sources include a service provider's legacy video plant, the Internet, retail rental locations (physical DVDs), and the home network. A home network typically has consumer electronics (CE) devices such as set top boxes, DVD players, personal computers (PCs), game consoles, portable media devices, and mobile phones. Standards are evolving for content delivery, in which content portability may be achieved and made interoperable through the use of compatible devices and other video internetworking technologies. For example, the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is an international, cross-industry collaboration of consumer electronics, computing industry and mobile device companies. Members of DLNA develop a concept of wired and wireless interoperable networks where digital content such as photos, music, and videos can be shared through consumer electronics, PCs, and mobile devices in and beyond the home. The organization seeks to deliver an interoperability framework and design guidelines that become open industry standards. Current guidelines expand the capabilities of the DLNA-defined network to include more device classes and functional capabilities, including printers, mobile devices, controllers, uploaders and downloaders. The guidelines also include specifications for digital rights management.
With traditional systems, DLNA media servers (DMS) are co-resident to DLNA media players in the local network that is typically located on the customer's premises. Media content is often stored in the Internet and may not be protected by a high level of security. Media content from the Internet sources may be downloaded to a PC in order for the PC to provide the media content from a DLNA media server to other DLNA media players in the DLNA network.
Personalized services, e.g., storage of the media content and the administration of DLNA media and server capability, are typically the responsibility of the customer in the local network. However, many customers do not have a technical background and may find this responsibility difficult and burdensome. Also, playing this media content on other media players (e.g., televisions and portable media players (PMPs)) may require more hardware or software support in the home as it requires a local DLNA media server at the customer's home. Moreover, media content is often copied to a physical storage device each time the media content is shared with a user in the DLNA network. This may increase the cost to the customer and may require supporting a variety of physical storage devices.